Microsoft reports stronger sales

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that its net income surged in the most recent quarter – the latest sign that businesses are again spending money on technology.

Strong sales of Windows, particularly to Microsoft’s corporate customers, helped boost results in the fiscal fourth quarter. Microsoft said it has sold more than 175 million licenses of the newest version, Windows 7, since it went on sale last year.

Big businesses stopped replacing aging computers, servers and software during the worst of the recession. Last quarter, the software maker said it saw signs that its corporate customers were starting to spend again.